How to Solve Sync Errors in HubSpot Salesforce Integration: Complete Guide

Is your HubSpot Salesforce integration experiencing sync errors? Don’t panic! While these errors can be frustrating, they’re completely manageable with the right approach. This comprehensive guide will walk you through identifying, understanding, and solving every type of sync error in your HubSpot Salesforce integration.

What Are HubSpot Salesforce Sync Errors?

A sync error occurs when something prevents data from flowing correctly between HubSpot and Salesforce. These issues can stem from property mismatches, automations, or rules that block specific records from syncing properly.

Good news: Sync errors won’t break your entire integration—they only affect specific records.

Bad news: Ignoring these errors can lead to:

• Incorrectly triggered automations
• Missed sales opportunities
• Unreliable marketing and sales reports
• Data discrepancies affecting customer experience

How to Find Sync Errors in HubSpot Salesforce Integration

One of the most valuable features of the HubSpot Salesforce integration is its robust sync error management tool. Unlike many other marketing platforms, HubSpot provides detailed reporting on exactly what’s going wrong.

To access your sync error report:

1. Navigate to Settings > Integrations > Connected Apps > Salesforce > Sync Health
2. Review the comprehensive breakdown of error types
3. Check both the number of error occurrences and affected records

Pro tip: Set up sync error notifications by clicking Manage Notifications and selecting your preferred frequency (immediate, daily, or weekly).

Understanding Your HubSpot Salesforce Sync Error Report

Your sync error dashboard displays:

• Total error count – The number of errors across all types
• Error breakdown grid – Shows each error type with two important metrics:
  • The larger, dark number indicates how many occurrences of each error exist
  • The smaller, lighter number shows how many records are affected

Best practice: Start by addressing errors affecting the highest number of records (the smaller number), not necessarily those with the most occurrences.

How to Solve the 8 Types of HubSpot Salesforce Integration Sync Errors

1. Association Sync Errors: Step-by-Step Solutions

What causes them:

• A Salesforce record trying to sync with a record not yet in HubSpot
• Records hitting HubSpot’s association limits

How to solve them:

1. Import all necessary records from Salesforce to HubSpot
2. Alternatively, open specific records in Salesforce and force-trigger the sync
3. For association limits (common with custom objects), review your HubSpot plan limits

Example: When a Salesforce Account isn’t yet a Company in HubSpot, there’s no Company to associate with when a Contact tries to sync.

2. Custom Code Errors: Complete Troubleshooting Guide

What causes them:

• Salesforce Flows conflicts
• Validation Rules requirements
• Apex code issues during lead conversion

How to solve them:

For Salesforce Flows:

1. Modify the data in HubSpot to meet flow requirements
2. Update the Flow in Salesforce to exclude HubSpot changes from triggering it

For Validation Rules:

1. Change the HubSpot data to meet validation criteria
2. Exclude HubSpot as the running user from Validation Rules
3. Example: If sales must update a Contact when an Opportunity reaches a certain stage, exclude HubSpot from that rule

For Missing Contact ID issues:

1. Work directly with your Salesforce administrator
2. Review the Apex code handling lead conversions

3. Duplicate Errors: Effective Resolution Strategies

Important note: This report only shows duplicates preventing record creation, not all duplicates in your database.

Two types of duplicate errors:

1. Duplicates found in HubSpot (preventing Salesforce sync)
2. Duplicates found in Salesforce (preventing HubSpot creation)

How to solve them:

1. Merge duplicates in the respective system before attempting to sync
2. Review your Matching and Duplicate Rules in Salesforce
3. Implement a comprehensive data hygiene policy

4. Permission Sync Errors: Quick Fixes

What causes them:

• The integration user lacks permissions for specific Fields or Objects in Salesforce

Background: HubSpot connects to Salesforce through an integration user whose credentials determine what HubSpot can access in Salesforce.

How to solve them:

1. Give your integration user the System Administrator Profile (recommended)
2. If using selective sync, have your Salesforce admin adjust the integration user’s permissions
3. For Task access issues, even System Administrators need explicit access to the Field Task Type on the Task Object

Workaround: Configure HubSpot to not sync or update the affected fields

5. Picklist Errors: Complete Resolution Guide

What causes them:

• Mismatched dropdown options between platforms
• State/country picklist formatting differences
• Inactive picklist values in Salesforce

How to solve them:

1. Refresh fields in the integration settings
2. Manually add missing options to both platforms
3. For state/country picklists: use consistent formats across platforms
4. Avoid inactive picklist values—delete and replace them with active values

6. Field Mapping Errors: Simple Solutions

What causes them:

• Incorrect field mappings in the integration settings

How to solve them:

1. Review warnings in your integration settings
2. Follow the specific directions provided for each mapping issue
3. Adjust field mappings as needed

7. Property Value Errors: Comprehensive Fixes

What causes them:

• Data type mismatches between platforms
• Character limit differences
• Missing required values

How to solve them:

1. Identify minimum required fields for each object in Salesforce
2. Ensure you’re capturing this data in HubSpot
3. Adjust property limitations to match between platforms
4. For character limit issues: modify the field length in one system to match the other

Pro tip: Audit all required Salesforce fields and ensure they’re being captured in HubSpot forms and workflows.

8. Other Sync Errors: Expert Solutions

What causes them:

• Usually related to custom Apex code in your Salesforce instance

How to solve them:

1. Document the specific error message
2. Consult with your Salesforce administrator
3. Develop a custom solution based on your unique instance

Best Practices for Managing HubSpot Salesforce Integration Sync Errors

1. Be proactive: Check your sync error report weekly
2. Prioritize effectively: Focus on errors affecting the most records
3. Document patterns: Keep track of recurring issues
4. Address root causes: Don’t just fix symptoms
5. Maintain communication: Ensure marketing and sales teams understand the importance of clean data

Why Solving HubSpot Salesforce Sync Errors Matters

Taking a proactive approach to managing sync errors:

• Ensures data integrity across platforms
• Improves marketing and sales alignment
• Prevents missed opportunities
• Enhances reporting accuracy
• Boosts overall system performance

Next Steps: Master Your HubSpot Salesforce Integration

Sync errors don’t have to derail your marketing and sales operations. By understanding these eight error types and implementing the solutions outlined above, you can maintain a healthy, efficient integration between HubSpot and Salesforce.

Remember: A small investment in regular sync error maintenance pays enormous dividends in data quality and team productivity.

Want to become even more confident in managing your HubSpot Salesforce integration? Consider joining our monthly live training sessions where we demonstrate real-time solutions to common integration challenges. Our comprehensive training library is available exclusively to members of our community.

Take control of your HubSpot Salesforce integration today by implementing these proven solutions to eliminate sync errors for good!